Laughter is the Best Medicine

A nostalgic and personal journey through the golden age of British variety club entertainment, by one of its last surviving true legends

In October 1963, Jimmy Tarbuck made his TV debut on Sunday Night at the Palladium, The young comedian stepped out on stage and brought the house down. Two years later, he was hosting the show.

As a football-mad youngster, Jimmy's dream had been to play professionally for his beloved Liverpool FC. Meanwhile, his childhood friends John Lennon and Cilla Black shot to fame as chart-topping sensations of the Merseybeat phenomenon. But it was a gift for making people laugh that was to propel him to stardom.

Hosting the biggest show on British TV, he found himself on telly every week introducing superstars like Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Rudolf Nureyev. Then he went to America and there he was on stage with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, chatting to Elvis in Vegas and chinwagging with Sinatra in Miami. This was a golden age for British entertainers, and he takes us back to the camaraderie of those days, remembering his old muckers Eric and Ernie, Tommy Cooper and Kenny Lynch, laughing together as they conquered the world.

As his incredible story shows, Jimmy has gone through life seeing the funny side of everything and, even through tough times, he knows that laughter is always the best medicine. Read his autobiography for a big, joyful dose it.